Fluffshot Series (Chapter 1: Stealing the Best Parts)
by soulsborne123
Summary: Series of oneshot fluffs and humorous anecdotes that may or may not relate to each other! Mostly MaixNaru pairings, but occasionally Yasuhara and/or Gene will join in on the triangle/pyramid. Will expand further as I get more ideas.
1. Stealing the Best Parts

_A/N: I'm having a hard time writing out the next chapters of **Introspection** , so a little MaiRu fluff break! I might expand this into a series of one shots, but I guess that depends on how long until I get over this writer's block._

* * *

 **Stealing the Best Parts**

 _T_ _ap. Tap. Tap._ Mai rapped her pencil over her coffee table and exhaled sharply through her nose. To try and calm herself back down, she reached for her cup and took a sip, only to choke and immediately spit it back out. Her tea had long gone cold.

With a loud grumble she stood up to get some paper towels and wiped away her mess, not really putting her mind in the chore as she resumed glaring at her notebook, which was clearly the one to blame for all her current problems. She tried to decipher the meaning behind those strange math symbols again as she racked her memory for the time her teacher had gone over a similar question, but came up blank.

"I don't remember this at all," she whined as she collapsed on the floor, almost tearing up from frustration. "We must have gone over this while I was out for a case..."

Then a thought hit her. She jumped up and ran to her bedroom to pick up her phone and called a familiar number on her speed dial. Within seconds of ringing, a voice answered.

"Yasuhara-san!" she greeted. A friendly acknowledgement came from the other line. "Do you have time to talk right now? I'm in need of some help..."

" _Ah, I would love to, but I was actually just about to step out to take my make-up exam... We did miss last week after all."_

Mai's crestfallen face would have been enough to make Yasuhara forget his prior engagements no matter how important it was, but as they were hidden behind their phones, it helped none. It annoyed her that even the kind Yasuhara-san was being inconvenienced by this part time job. "I see. No worries, I'll try to work on my homework some more on my own. Sorry to bother you. Good luck on your test!"

She could practically hear Yasuhara frown. " _I'm really very sorry, Taniyama-san... I'll call you up again when I get back?"_

Mai grunted cheerfully to dispel his guilt. "Sure thing! When you get back maybe I'll still be stuck on this problem. Well, goodbye then!" As soon as they hung up, she sighed. "Okay, well that plan is scrapped. Who else can I ask for help?"

She bit her lip and tried to imagine each conversation she would have were she to contact the others. None of the scenarios in her head played out well. For starters she seriously doubted whether Bou-san or Ayako would even remember anything academic, and certainly Masako had no need to understand esoteric math concepts. Did that woman even go to school? As for John... she wondered briefly and was about to try her luck with the young priest, but she remembered that he had gone on a vacation. It would be rude of her to bug him while he tried to take some well deserved rest.

Lin-san perhaps? The two of them had recently started to get along better so maybe that was a viable option, but then again it was a weekend and she wasn't sure if he'd be as accommodating on his day off.

That really only left her with one other choice.

She thumbed through her contacts list and highlighted the name, " _Nevercallthis Jerk_ ". Mai still couldn't believe she managed to weasel out his phone number from him two weeks ago. They were talking alone in the office when the subject of emergency contacts came up and she persisted on getting his information until he relented. In the end he said to her scathingly that she had better not use it unless it was absolutely necessary.

" _Like how do you mean 'necessary'?" she asked._

" _'You-had-better-be-dying-with-no-other-way-to-contact-others' kind of necessary," he replied icily._

Mai bit her lip and mused, "Well I'm having a test this Monday and I cannot fail it, otherwise I won't be allowed to take days off for the next case so this is qualifies as _necessary_. Besides, this is all his fault to a degree anyway. These cases really take some time off my studies so it should be fair to ask him to help me. It shouldn't be too hard for him-he's a genius anyway." Yet despite saying all this, she felt nervous. She had never once called his cell phone, let alone on a weekend. With a trembling hand, she pressed the call button.

Unlike Yasuhara, it took more than fifteen rings before he picked up, and instead of a cheerful greeting she received a sigh with a hint of annoyance. " _I thought I told you not to call me,_ " his deep voice resonated on the other line, tickling Mai's ear.

"Naru! I'm sorry to bother you but I needed help..."

" _With?"_

"... Homework."

Mai braced herself, knowing he was about to say a lot of deprecating things toward her right now, but there was only silence. Then to her surprise, he asked, " _What topic?"_

"M-math... It looks like we went over differential equations while I was out last week and we're having a test on Monday. Wait, you're not going to yell at me?"

" _Going over math problems on the phone will be too confusing for you. You probably won't even understand my instructions-"_

"-Well I'm _sorry_ for being too dumb to go over it on the phone!"

He cut her off. " _-I wasn't finished. Stop being so stubborn._ "

Oh. Mai apologized silently and kept quiet. "So then? What were you going to say?"

" _I'm reviewing some files and need to send it over to BSPR by tonight so I can't leave my place. Bring the homework and let's get it over with."_ As an afterthought, he added, " _And like I said before-it's pointless to yell at idiots_ _."_

Mai pulled her phone out of the side of her face and read the call information to confirm she was talking to the right person. " _Nevercallthis Jerk_ " was in bold letters on the top of her screen. She replaced the phone back to her ear and said, "Setting aside your very mean comment, I just want to get this straight: you want me... to come over?"

" _The homework couldn't possibly bring itself now, could it?"_

She sighed exasperatedly. "Of course not! You know very well which part is surprising to me, damn it!"

" _Then come. Try to make it within the next hour or else my schedule will be thrown off even more."_ Mai heard the click and the dial tone before she could even reply.

With a sigh, she collected her school things and packed them in her bag, while a deep blush and foolish smile slowly crept up her face. This wouldn't be her first time coming over his place, although the last time she was there was work related and she wasn't even alone with him. It was during an intense case several months ago; her and the rest of the SPR team had to temporarily crash at his place to help the two powerful members prepare hundreds of _hitogata_. Naru and Lin-san must have learned from experience during the Ryokuryou High case: it's nerve-racking doing everything yourself at the last second.

Once everything was packed, Mai turned off all her lights and skipped out the door, making her way towards his apartment.

-oooo-

Several hours later, sitting inside Naru's tidy apartment, Mai felt herself getting extremely dizzy. Her hands were slightly sweating from nervousness as Naru leaned in closer beside her, trying to look over her answers. She could practically feel his hair brush against her cheek. Fearing her thundering heart might give her away, she stealthily turned to look at him and was surprised to see him so nonchalant, appearing perfectly oblivious to the physical reaction he had on her body due to their close proximity.

"You've finally got the logic down," he mused, "but you made a mistake with your arithmetic here."

Mai snapped out of her stupor and followed his finger. Sure enough, she had miscalculated. After erasing her marks and deliberating for a few seconds, she began to write down the correct answer. Satisfied with everything, Naru nodded.

Through the corner of her eye she saw him slightly stretching in his seat, not like the way Bou-san splays out, but properly and with grace. Mai looked at him in awe and observed how his black turtleneck over his thin, pale frame gave him a sophisticated aura, even as he covered his mouth and tried to stifle a yawn. She turned to the clock on the wall and gasped when she read 8:30 pm. They had been working for nearly the entire day.

She then cast a quick glance at his own desk where several folders lay open, and the Word file on the computer only took up half a page. Worried, she turned to her boss and asked, "You haven't been able to work on your report..."

He stood up wordlessly and sat back down by his desk, leaving her at the table by herself. Thinking this meant that her stay had been long overdue, she stood up and packed all her things. She wanted to offer her help in finishing up his reports, but her English wasn't that great and she was sure Naru would just make fun of her for even thinking she could be useful.

Still, perhaps it would be polite to offer.

"Ne, Naru. Do you need help writing your report? Perhaps I could-"

"-And how could you possibly help with your atrocious English?" he countered, raising his eyebrow. Right. Of course, it was like that.

She huffed, "Well I knew you would say that. I figured I might as well offer since it's the polite thing to do. Anyway, thank you very much for the help. I think I'm ready for this test." She stood up and carried her bag. "Still, I feel bad I took up all your time. Do you maybe need tea, or something before I leave?"

Naru was already back to finishing up his report and didn't even look at her, although she could tell by his body language that tea would be a welcome treat. She sat her bag back down and headed toward his kitchen where she prepared him his favorite drink. A few minutes later, she came back with a steaming cup in her hand.

"Here is your tea. I found a thermos so I made a larger batch and poured it in there. Looks like you're going to pull an all-nighter." She dropped off the teacup and thermos at his desk and turned to leave, but was surprised when Naru suddenly grabbed her hand. She whipped her head around. "Y-yes?"

His blue eyes stared back at her, seemingly unmoved, but Mai could hear a slight hesitation in his voice as he said, "... You don't have to leave so soon."

" _So soon_?" Mai thought. " _I have been here all day._ " When Naru didn't let go, she stammered, "O-okay. Did you need help after all?" She locked her eyes with his, following his gaze even as he stood up next to her. She was struck by how much taller he had become. Her eyes strayed to his lips and fleetingly wondered what would happen if she were to stand on tip toe and peck him, very lightly.

Contact.

To her mortification, she had unwittingly committed the act as she was thinking it. Both their eyes widened, their lips just barely touching. She quickly pulled herself away and looked down, unable to look him in the eye. Her chest was pounding so hard and her ears were ringing so loud that she didn't even realize he hadn't let her go.

A few seconds of silence went by with neither saying a word. Finally, her voice caught up to her and she croaked out, "I am so, _so very sorry_ , Naru!" She felt so embarrassed, so ashamed of herself that tears started welling in her eyes as she stared at the floor. He was most likely livid with anger. What the hell was she thinking?

"It wasn't... unpleasant." Her head snapped up and saw him furrowing his brow in confusion. He quickly regained his composure and he gently let her go. Tilting his head slightly, he muttered, "Why would you cry over it?"

Mai couldn't believe it possible. She had just stolen a kiss from her narcissistic boss and she was still alive. Surely this must be the calm before a storm. With a sniff she mumbled weakly, "I thought you'd be furious..."

"Why?"

"Why?" she echoed. "That was practically sexual assault," she answered gravely.

He seemed to think this over. With a nod, he replied, "Yes. I suppose I can file a harassment complaint."

Mai gulped but accepted her fate. This was a major transgression, one that she would no doubt regret for the rest of her life. Worst scenario would mean the end of her career with SPR. She turned to leave, but was once again stopped on her tracks as Naru grabbed her from behind, wrapping his arms gently around her waist.

He pulled her in closer and whispered huskily into her ear, "I won't file a complaint if you won't."

A shiver ran through the entire length of her body. Feeling faint, she managed to mumble out, "I... that's... fair, I suppose." Internally, she was screaming. " _What? What does this mean? Why is Naru hugging me like this? Good heavens!"_

When he let go, his face was back to its usual apathetic look and he sat back down on his chair. Without even looking at her he asked, "Well? Since you're so intent on leaving, will you be able to make it home on your own?"

She miraculously found her voice and answered that she would be fine. Then thanking him, she turned to leave and closed the front door behind her, glad to feel the December breeze cool her overheating body. She closed her eyes. So many questions racked her mind. What did this development mean for their relationship? Was that a mutual confession of love? Well, no words were spoken, but if actions could speak...

She practically ran home, feeling giddy.

Inside his apartment, Oliver Davis smirked to himself. Back then Mai had accused him of stealing all the best parts. Tonight, she had done the same. He'd been pondering about how he could get away with stealing a tiny kiss from her for some time since she came over, but couldn't find a proper time. Perhaps he was also feeling a bit scared to take that first step. Leave it to Mai to do things her way.

He sighed as he looked at the long work ahead of him. Could he even finish before morning? Yet despite this severe annoyance, Noll thought the day had gone wonderfully well.


	2. Valentine Choco

_A/N: I'm on a roll with these one shots! I dig Yasu/Mai/Naru triangle, so here's to satisfy my desires._

* * *

 **Valentine Choco**

He took one bite and re-adjusted his glasses. Immediately he opened his mouth back up and stuck his tongue out, letting out a small whimper. The flavor was... god-awful, to say the least. " _What in holy hell's creation is this atrocity?"_ he asked himself while he reached for some tissue and scraped the vile trash off his tongue. Looking at the uneaten half, he gasped in horror and turned blue. "Salmon roe-covered chocolate!"

It took him several minutes to re-compose himself before finding his courage to try another one. A nice, oval-ish piece of chocolate decorated in red squiggles caught his eye. He took a deep breath and took a bite. Color drained from his face once again as tomato juice and broken up sardine parts gushed out. He hurled in his trashcan.

"Is it all going to be seafood surprise?" he wondered outloud and started doubting whether he would have the courage to try the rest. With a sigh, he thought, " _Man, who knew Mai-san could be very... evil._ "

A few hours before she left the office she had handed everyone a box of chocolates for Valentine's day. She was ecstatic, saying that this was the very first time she had experimented with Valentine choco. Yasuhara didn't mind that he received _giri-choco_ * (he saw it that way since everybody had gotten the same things, even the ladies), but he was at least glad that she gave him something hand-made. He had thanked her genuinely, but the impish smirk she had on her face slightly scared him. "You're going to be in for a surprise, Yasuhara-kun!" she chirped mysteriously before stepping out. Now he understood.

He reconsidered for a moment whether he should just throw everything in the trash, but he quickly thought against it. Despite how awful it was, she _did_ still make it for him. He was going to try it all, no matter what. He steeled himself for another go. It seemed that she at least tried to give a warning of some sort by designing the chocolate's outer layer according to its filling. He scanned the rest of the chocolates for something that his stomach could handle and rested on a peculiar looking piece. It was brown and slightly spiralling in shape. "It couldn't be... she wouldn't... Would she?" he wondered out loud, terrified of his own voice. "No... Mai-san wouldn't... _could this be poop?"_

He tentatively reached out his hand and paused, his inner conscience screaming at him mentally for being an idiot to even think about taking a bite. But his attachment to Mai and insatiable curiousity (as well as his firm belief of his own good luck) overcame his inner ego and he took a bite. To his surprise, it was unlike the others. It was actually just a simple caramel chocolate. "Mm... So her real chocolates are actually quite tasty," he mused. Since he was smart, he decided to save the rest of the only good chocolate in case he happened upon something foul again.

Yasuhara clasped his hands and rubbed them gleefully, his spirit renewed, thinking he had begun to understand Mai's thoughts as she designed her creation. He took the circle, green colored chocolate, hoping against hope that it was matcha.

Three seconds after he took his bite and swallowed, an intense burning sensation shot up through his nose and settled somewhere behind his eyes. He choked and threw himself on the floor, crawling and holding on to his nose dearly. What he hoped was matcha was instead a very potent serving of wasabi. His vision blurred and his mind went blank. For the moment, he firmly believed he was dying.

Suddenly to his surprise, the door to Naru's office also burst open and out came his boss, nose also flaring. His eyes were wide and glistening as if he was about to tear up. The two young men shared a terrified glance before Naru sprinted off toward the bathroom. Yasuhara could hear him retching in disgust.

Once his pain subsided, Yasuhara entered his boss' office and raised his brow at seeing the same box of chocolate at his desk, already almost empty. Unlike his own box, however, there were no signs of anything half eaten. Yasuhara also cast a glance at Naru's trash, but it was empty except for papers.

By this time Naru had already emerged from the bathroom and had composed himself. Upon seeing Yasuhara in his office, he raised his brow and called out in slight irritation, "Is there anything you need, Yasuhara-san?"

The young man snapped out of his momentary confusion and stepped out, readjusting his glasses once again, a habit he acquired whenever he felt somewhat disconcerted. "Ah, no it's nothing, Boss. Just wanted to see what had happened to you."

The two shared an uncomfortable silence, both pretending as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened mere moments before. Yasuhara saw that Naru had also cast a glance at his desk and noticed the same box of chocolates. It miffed him when he detected a slight smirk on his boss' face. Unable to stop himself, he jovially asked, "Big-boss, who knew you had a sweet tooth. Everyone thought for sure you wouldn't eat Mai-san's hand-made choco, yet it seems you've almost decimated the entire box," his light hearted words masking his pointed annoyance.

Naru leveled his gaze. "And I thought you'd be one to enjoy disgustingly sweet things, especially ones that Mai made herself. But all I see here are a bunch of half-eaten and regurgitated mess."

Before the two could face off with a battle of snappy retorts, Lin suddenly emerged from his office, carrying a box of chocolate in his hands. He was surprised to see both Noll and Yasuhara in the main office, the air thick and electrified between them. "I will be headed out now," he said stoically. "Is there anything the matter?"

Naru closed his eyes and stalked back into his office. Before disappearing behind his door, however, he shot Lin a glance and mysteriously suggested, "I wouldn't eat them if I were you. Mai's been experimenting." Then he shut the door.

After his boss disappeared into his office and Lin-san bid him farewell, Yasuhara slumped down on his office desk and pouted. He was seriously going to have to up his game. It seemed his boss was developing feelings for Mai and he knew that once she realizes it, it would be game over for him. He grabbed another piece of chocolate and plopped it whole in his mouth. If Shibuya Kazuya could do it, then so can he.

He spit it back out and wailed. "Minced garlic filling!"

* * *

 _*Giri-choco: obligatory chocolate given to male co-workers (but in this case, Mai's obligatory chocolate is even hand made)_


	3. What does 'Soba' Stand For?

_A/N: This is Lin's POV of this story. Next chapter is seen from Mai's POV. Warning for some very slight suggestive themes._

 _Also: italicized sentences are spoken in English._

* * *

 **What Does 'Soba' Stand For?**

Koujo Lin is a fastidious man. Keenness and hawk-like observance were necessary characteristics to have for someone in his line of work as he takes a silent watch over multiple screens all day in order to detect the slightest variation in temperature, movement, or sounds. But although his sharp wit allowed him to sort through all gathered data and analyze it carefully to arrive at a logical conclusion, it wasn't always the case. As such, the current curious situation he found himself in left him in a stump. Lately he's felt that the aura around the office has changed, but as to _what_ and _how_ exactly, he couldn't place.

The change had been very gradual, although to give credit to his abilities, he was able to approximate that it began about a year ago since their return to JSPR. Noll's demeanor, although still brusque and pointed toward his colleagues, had began to lose its edge. Lin was sure only he was the one keen enough to observe such a minor change. Additionally, he had long suspected Noll having a soft spot for their spunky part-timer (perhaps because she was so much like Gene), but it still surprised him greatly at how much Noll seemed to get caught up in the whirlwind of her emotions, sometimes antagonizing her to elicit a response, and sometimes getting antagonized himself by her equally pointed remarks. What was amusing to him was how Noll had managed to switched the roles. Before it had been Gene who would start arguments; now he seemed to have taken on the mantle and throw it back to his brother's successor.

That particular Saturday morning started out completely normal. He woke up at four, as usual, and began his morning Tai Chi routine (on his own now, although Noll used to train under him when they stayed in the same hotel when they first arrived in Japan). He ate his morning breakfast consisting of sauteed vegetables and bland oatmeal, showered, and then left for work. To his surprise, he was the first one to arrive in the office. This was the first deviation from the usual. As soon as he opened the door, he closed it behind him and walked straight toward their kitchenette to make himself a cup of tea, willing to bet on the fact that at least his fellow co-worker Taniyama-san would come in very late as usual. As he set the kettle down and rapped his fingers on the counter top, the summer sun starting to come through their office windows and illuminating the small room in a warm, yellowish hue, he hummed a simple tune to himself. It was very still and peaceful. Perhaps if he got here early on a daily basis he can do his Tai Chi here instead of his apartment. The silence made him recall that the noise level in the office had also gone down dramatically as of late. Taniyama-san and Yasuhara-san still kept at their usual antics and was still loud as usual, but quite honestly it was Taniyama-san's daily spat with their boss that brought out the worst in her otherwise cheerful behavior. If only Noll would stop antagonizing the girl. He'd meant to bring it up with him during their weekly one-on-one meetings but always thought against it, thinking it best to let the two enjoy themselves somehow. After all, no one could possibly keep doing the same things over and over unless they found some enjoyment out of it. He sighed.

The office door suddenly opened and in came his young boss. Noll gave no indication of surprise or irritation for being the second to arrive, but merely nodded to him and grunted, " _Morning_ ," in English as he closed the door behind him. Lin calmly observed his placid face and simply nodded in reply. Deviation number two of the day: greeting. Usually the two would just share a quiet nod and go about their usual ways.

" _Would you like some tea as well?_ " he asked, motioning toward the water he's boiled. Noll nodded and noticing that his cuff was unbuttoned, set to fastening it. Lin couldn't help but notice that the top-most button on Noll's shirt was also unbuttoned, but didn't see the need to inform him. He mentally noted deviation number three: Noll's slightly unkempt appearance.

They spent a few minutes in silence as they steeped their tea before parting ways at the precipice of Noll's office door. Before walking in, Noll turned to him and said, " _Today is Mr. Higgs' last day. He'll stop by briefly to collect a few things, then you will drive him to the airport and make sure he doesn't miss his flight._ "

" _Of course_." After hearing the click of the door, Lin sat down the couch in the main office, preferring to enjoy his fresh cup of Jasmine in the bright main room rather than his small dark office, which was even more crowded now that he's had to share it with Mr. Higgs for the past three months. Mr. Higgs was a researcher from the BSPR branch who had been tasked to join their smaller JSPR office temporarily as part of a growth enrichment program. As the brand of SPR ventures into globalization, the upper heads decided that sending scientists to other parts of the world would highly benefit the culture of their company, allowing scientists the opportunity to experience a broader variety of paranormal phenomena, and hopefully redistribute the knowledge, tips, and tricks each branch possesses for the rest.

There was nothing wrong with the forty something year old man, but Lin observed that his stiff personality and arrogant airs alienated both their Japanese co-workers (and it surely didn't help that his Japanese was very wanting). But out of the two, it was Taniyama-san who seemed to bear the full brunt of Mr. Higgs' mildly unlikable personality, not that he blamed him. Taniyama-san did have a knack for being clueless and stubborn, and unfortunately would somehow always find a way to unconsciously inconvenience the British man. In the first week of his arrival, Mr. Higgs and Taniyama-san were left alone for a few hours while he and Noll brought the van in for repairs. When they got back they found Mr. Higgs and Taniyama-san sharing a very awkward silence, both obviously quite miffed at each other. Later on the day he found out from Mr. Higgs that he spent thirty minutes trying to communicate to her that her help was needed in translating the newspaper clipping related to a case he was reviewing, but she had been unable to properly get the information across.

"Unsurprising since Taniyama-san's weakness is English, after all," Lin thought. It amused him that later that same day he heard Taniyama-san complain to Yasuhara-san how it was possible that anybody could make him, the stone-faced Lin, seem ten times more approachable than the British man. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the main office door opened and in came her sonorous greeting. "Good morning, Lin-san!"

Lin nodded toward her and took another sip of his tea. Deviation number four: she came in early, just five minutes after Noll, making it the earliest she's ever arrived at the office.

-0000-

Lin was sitting in his office chair, in mid conversation with the British man. When he was speaking with fellow Brits, Mr. Higgs was actually quite sociable. Perhaps, Lin theorized, it was the language barrier that kept him from engaging properly with the others.

" _Oh chap, I absolutely cannot wait to get back home. Although Japan had been extremely wonderful, one can't help but pine for home sweet home, eh?_ " he said in his usual slow, deliberate manner, his accent sounding very posh.

" _Indeed. We're honored to have you stay with us for so long and I hope we have been able to show you some new things."_

 _"Oh yes, yes, quite. I did learn quite a lot. The cases we've had were all very interesting and I can't wait to get started on the reports for those. Ah, goodness, will you look at the time. I've two hours at most. Best get this exit interview then."_

Lin stood up and escorted the older man out of his office, walking him to the office next door where Noll was sitting patiently. Based on his initial reading of Noll's features: mildly furrowed brows, cross legged coupled with crossed arms across his chest, it was obvious that he was irritated at having to do the formality of an exit interview. Lin nodded toward him and ushered Mr. Higgs inside before closing the door behind him to give them privacy. With his own office being unfavorable to him, he decided to sit back down on the main sofa. His mind was definitely not in the mood for writing or reading at the moment. Instead he found himself quietly observing Yasuhara-san and Taniyama-san, who were both currently working on sorting through some files. It seemed to him that Taniyama-san's mind was also not in the game as Yasuhara kept prodding her side saying that she put the file under the wrong header. She smiled sheepishly and apologized.

After a while, the young man tutted. "What's going on, Mai-san? You keep sighing and staring off into the distance. Fantasizing about a guy? Come to think of it, you're also wearing quite the daring outfit. Are you going on a date later?" he teased.

The girl flushed and cried, "No, what? Are you talking about this tank top? This is hardly date material though!"

"I disagree. Chic and sensual. I like it." The glint in Yasuhara's eyes made Lin uncomfortable. Although now that he looked at it, seeing Taniyama-san in this outfit made him conscious of his own masculinity as well as he traced the curves of her bare, petite shoulders, to her slightly exposed back. The tightness of the cloth against her small frame accentuated her femininity as her chest jutted out to a modest point. Lin coughed to dispel his thoughts away.

"Really, Mai-san," Yasuhara continued, seemingly unaware of Lin's presence in the room. "You should wear that around more often."

"H-hey! I-I know it's inappropriate, but I just didn't have any other change of clothes..."

"I believe she had just worn that shirt yesterday," Lin thought to himself. He recalled that yesterday she was wearing a looser white shirt on top, and when she waved her arms around the straps and bottom part of the tank top she was currently wearing peeked through. He figured he should say something to Taniyama-san to extricate her from Yasuhara's sneakily lecherous stares, but stopped short when the door to Noll's office opened. The two occupants walked out.

"W _ell that's that, eh, Oliver? I daresay the few weeks have really sped by. Thank you again for allowing me to become a part of this team, although temporarily. I'll pack the rest of my small things here in the office and then I'll be headed out._ " Noll nodded and asked Mai to get them some tea in the meantime. Mr. Higgs quickly interjected and asked for coffee instead as he needed a 'pick-me-up' so that he can get started with his reports while on the plane, and then disappeared into his shared office space. Lin caught Naru looking towards his assistant and was confused when he saw an unknown glint in his young charge's eyes. What did that mean? But before he could gather more data, Noll had made his way over to Mr. Higgs and leaned against the door frame with arms crossed, suddenly restarting his conversation with him.

As Mai finished her preparations and carefully made her way towards the table, passing nearby Noll on the way, the usually stoic young man cryptically mused, "Soba sounds good again for tonight." Lin assumed he was still addressing the comment towards Mr. Higgs and wondered what in the world possessed him to choose that subject matter out of the blue. But then at those words, Taniyama-san suddenly froze and turned red all the way to her ears before setting the cups down, obviously trying her very best to not look her boss in the face. Deviations five and six.

" _Ah, soba, you say? I heard that is just the perfect thing to eat during these warm summer nights. Did you have yourself a plate of Soba last night, Oliver?_ "

Lin's confusion mounted higher when Noll's smirk widened as he answered, " _Why yes, I did enjoy it last night._ " Taniyama-san had coughed and ran back to her desk to busy herself with filing. As Noll and Mr. Higgs continued their small chat, something nagged at the back of Lin's head. Suddenly he realized the discrepancy. Why had Noll spoken those words in Japanese if he had meant to address Mr. Higgs? Unless it was a slip of the tongue, since he's been switching between the two languages constantly these past few months, but that was unlikely. Noll's mastery of both languages left no room for error. He pulled out his phone and opened up a text field.

 _Madoka, this is Lin. It might amuse you to know that Noll suddenly quipped that 'soba sounds good again for tonight'. I cannot comprehend his meaning, nor his reasoning for randomly spouting out these words. As I'm sure you're aware, he's not particularly loquacious and therefore this comes as a surprise. I can only surmise this is some kind of code. Do please let me know if you're familiar with any slang that might be related to soba. Thanks, Lin._

He sent the text and hoped it will be all illuminated for him later.

Noll and Mr. Higgs made their way toward the coffee table once all his belongings were securely packed. Before sitting down, Noll raised his brow and addressed his assistant, "Mai. I believe Mr. Higgs asked for coffee. You have given him tea."

"A-ah! Oh no, I'm sorry, I'll take it back and make him a new one right away!" the girl scrambled, but Mr. Higgs held out his hand and said in broken Japanese that there was no need, but there was certainly some hint of irritation in his voice. The poor girl, most likely unable to take any more from the older man, resigned and shrunk back down into her chair. She's given him a very bad impression throughout his entire stay. A most unfortunate, although astounding feat.

Eventually the hour of Mr. Higgs' departure arrived. When it came to say goodbyes, Mr. Higgs warmly expressed his gratitude to the team (even toward Yasuhara), speaking in his native tongue and thus by default becoming more friendly and open. But when it came to Mai, he switched back to Japanese and spoke slowly, as if to a child. "Sayonara, Taniyama-san." It was almost comical the way Taniyama-san's eyes and mouth opened in a slight shock at this special treatment of her, her veins popping out in anger on her forehead, but to her credit she was able to responded politely.

When he led the English man out the door, he heard Noll ask Mai to go into his office, his voice stern. Lin assumed it would be the usual argument behind closed doors over her lackadaisical attitude as of late, but thankfully he wouldn't be around for a while to hear them. Yasuhara would be the only witness.

-0000-

After dropping off Mr. Higgs and escorting him through the terminals, Lin headed back to the office, hoping to finally have the energy to get back to work. As he made his way upstairs, his phone vibrated. He took it from his pocket and read Madoka's reply.

 _Lin! Txts shld be short and not formal! idk what Soba means. Ill ask mai later if u want?._ Lin sighed. This was going to weigh on his mind for a while.

When he entered the room he found Taniyama filing away, covered in a black scarf. His eyes met hers and she must have seen his questioning look for she replied with a pout, "Yeah, it's hot, but boss says I'm wearing something inappropriate so I have to cover up." Lin smiled at her.

Yasuhara-san chuckled at this and lamented, "It was a very beautiful view, too. Maybe the big boss was jealous that your flawless skin practically glows like the morning sun."

"Perhaps it would be best if the two part-timers stopped messing around and finally do some real work around here." Everyone turned their heads and met Noll's scowling face. Lin noticed that his shirt had been buttoned up properly and wondered if Taniyama-san had finally pointed it out to him while they were no doubt arguing behind the closed doors. He coughed and excused himself, disappearing into his dark office that was once again all his. Now that he had more breathing room, he felt more at ease. He rolled up his sleeves and resumed his work.

* * *

 _Mai's POV next! For that one there will definitely be lots of suggestive descriptions so please be wary. Also on a side note, **Introspection** is also going along, but really slowly... and here I am wasting time with my fluff-shots._


	4. What 'Soba' Really Meant

_A/N: Mai's POV. Changed the story's rating to 'M' just to make sure... although I think it's still only mildly suggestive? Anyway, I struggled so much trying to write this chapter..._

* * *

 **What 'Soba' Really Meant**

Mai sighed as she listened to Bou-san, Ayako, Masako, Yasuhara-kun, and John talk over each other, raising their voices louder and louder as if afraid their train of thought would get drowned out if they didn't immediately provide the outlet for it. Currently their passionate conversation revolved around the latest news regarding the fraudulent paranormal investigators who were cheating frightened people out of their money; it infuriated them all, making them forget their place in the office. Even John couldn't help voice his concerns, especially since these so called investigators claimed to have connections with exorcists who were only willing to help out if paid exorbitant amounts of money. Mai understood their righteous anger, but she felt very apprehensive for their sake, expecting Naru to come storming out of his office to yell at them to either be quiet, or leave the premises. Surprised that she hasn't heard a peep from him, she decided to serve tea as an excuse to come check up on him.

She knocked first before entering and slowly approached her boss. He was busy reading one of the newest paranormal book he got his hands on and was doing a splendid job tuning out the cacophonous noise outside. When she set the tea down, he looked up at her and studied her for a few seconds. Suddenly he said, "You can come over today. I have free time."

She whipped her head around to make sure the others didn't hear, but she had no need to worry, judging by the way Naru didn't even bother concealing his remarks. She figured he was confident the others' loud voices would simply drown out their own conversation. Mai didn't know if she should be happy or annoyed at the invitation since he didn't exactly _ask_ her, just simply stated, knowing that she would even go so far as to cancel previous plans if necessary. But then again he had been right to assume that-it wasn't like she would even think about not coming. With plenty of reports to finish up before the end of the week, Naru had been too busy to entertain guests over, or to even come by her house (which he already seldom did). The times they spent alone together had been far too few as of late.

Although the two of them began officially dating six months ago, their current circumstance at work prevented them from hanging out much together as a couple. It pained her to have to hide their relationship from everyone, but she wanted to respect Naru's wish and show him that she finally understood and supported his decision. The reasons behind his wish, of course, she had to figure out the hard way, even causing some rift between them for several days. Eventually her pig-headedness gave way as she realized that it wasn't his ego he wanted to protect, but her livelihood. If the SPR branch had gotten wind of the Japanese branch's CEO having a liaison with his otherwise inexperienced assistant, their funding, already difficult to come by, would be placed under more scrutiny. Not only would his leadership and credibility be questioned, but her motives for holding a relationship with him as well. Since he was a leading paranormal researcher, his indiscretion might easily be dismissed after careful negotiations, but she, insignificant as she was, would be fair game. Removing her from the environment she seemed to love and think of as her new family was cruel and that was something he would not stand for. Of course, if he had only explained all of this to her their mini-spat would not have even happened, but since he was very pig-headed as well she had to piece together everything herself. Maybe this just proved they truly were meant for each other after all.

"I can prepare us some soba for tonight. Perfect for the hot weather," she whispered to him before walking excitedly toward the door. She had decided she was ecstatic that Naru asked after all, since he usually didn't like to take initiative at making sure they spend enough time together. She turned to him one last time before exiting the room and realized that he had followed her with his eyes. With a smile she said, "I will ask them to be a bit quieter for you," before closing the door.

The remainder of Mai's day went by too slowly, but eventually five o'clock came and everyone started to filter out of the office until only she and Naru were left. After giving it about ten minutes just to be safe, the two went out the door and left the office together without any witness. After stopping by the nearby grocery store to pick up their ingredients, the two walked toward his apartment as they usually did whenever they found themselves together, casual and quiet. Mai usually initiated the small talks and he would always listen quietly, but sometimes if she left herself open to an attack he would get in some teasing remarks and she would get angry and pout. This in turn would always elicit a small smile from his otherwise stoic face.

If anyone had asked Mai what she thought of her relationship, she wouldn't be able to give a definitive answer. Their relationship had both progressed and not progressed. Naru was definitely a bit kinder and open to her now, a bit more secure in letting her see that she was his one weakness, but in terms of physical intimacy they still hadn't really tried to push things forward. Sometimes they would come over each others' house, but mostly they would just talk over home-made dinner, or have him tutor her with the more difficult subjects, or sometimes if they were at his house he'd allow her to use his laptop and they would watch a movie together. Going out was tricky because they never knew if they would run into the others so that had largely been avoided. They kissed, mostly pecks, but the more passionate make outs were far in between. She constantly wondered if anything further would ever happen between them. Little did she know what was in store for the two of them that day.

After arriving at his apartment, Naru settled himself down at the kitchen table and started his final editing to his reports, while Mai got busy making some small appetizers and preparing their dinner. Naru was not a very good, nor a very enthusiastic cook, so cooking was mostly left to her expertise, but at least he did his fair share of work by offering to clean up all the dishes. As her cooking time went on and she diligently stayed in front of the open flame, the added misery of the summer heat just made the cooking process even more uncomfortable. Mai eventually had to take off her green jacket and white top, leaving only the orange tank top undershirt and proceeded to put her hair up. After a few minutes of stirring, she turned to Naru and was surprised to catch him staring, although he tried to look away and pass it off as a stray glance.

She laughed. "Were you just being a creeper? Well why won't you come up here, creeper, and taste the soup base?" She turned her back on him and scooped up a tablespoon to give it a taste herself, but almost dropped the spoon and its contents when Naru's strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind, hugging her tightly. He buried his face on her neck, his breath hot against her delicate skin, making her stiffen in shock. Mai was unsure whether the trembling was coming from him or her, whether the heart beat she could feel pounding belonged to his chest or hers. She stammered, "N-Naru? What's wrong?"

"Nn," he replied. She could feel the vibration of his throat as his deep voice resonated, causing shockwaves to rush through her entire body. "Just... wanted to do this."

Mai tried not to shift her weight too much as she turned off the stove, before lowering her own arms and holding it on top of Naru's embrace. Feeling daring, she tilted her head to the side to expose more of her skin, showing him that she didn't mind his boldness and instead even going so far as to invite him to push beyond their limits. As if understanding, Naru planted soft kisses up her neck, then up her ears where he gave it a seductive lick. She couldn't help it as a moan escaped her lips.

Powered on by this response, Naru turned her around and kissed her passionately, his tongue dancing against hers while his hands glided up to the side of her face. He slipped her hair tie off, letting her shoulder length hair cascade along her shoulders, letting some strands flow through his fingers as he pulled her head closer to deepen the kiss. Eventually they both ran out of breath and pulled away from each other, half terrified of the electrifying passion they suddenly found themselves in. She could tell he was unsure what to do at that point, but deciding that her mounting curiosity and hidden desires were urgently needing to be satisfied, she smirked at him, her twinkling eyes giving the consent he was looking for. He took her hand in his and led her to his room, leaving their soba and food to grow cold.

-000-

The next morning Mai woke up to the sound of closet drawers opening and closing. She opened up her eyes slowly.

"Are you finally awake?" His voice was stern, as it always was whenever she came in for work late.

She flipped over to her side to watch him button up his black polo and smiled up at him contently. "Mm. Kind of."

"I need to get in the office early today. Why must you always wake up so late?"

At this, Mai turned to the clock beside the bed and saw that it was only 5:50 a.m, way too early for her but definitely almost too late for him. Knowing that Naru always came in to work before 6 a.m, she sheepishly apologized and got up. The blanket covering her slipped down, revealing her naked chest. She scrambled to pull it back up, but Naru had reached the bed by then and sat down on the edge, grabbed her hand and smirked. "Nothing I haven't seen now. Don't work yourself up over that."

Mai blushed and nodded, unable to say anything else, and let the covers fall. She felt his eyes gaze at her figure hungrily and he leaned in, his hand already sliding up her bare midriff before settling on her chest, but to her disappointment he suddenly stopped and sighed in frustration. "We can't be getting sidetracked. We need to get to the office now. Hurry and get ready." With this he stood up and made a motion toward the bathroom with his head.

By 6 a.m they were out of the house. They walked silently through the empty streets of Shibuya that early morning, the slow and steady tap of their shoes only becoming audible once the small handful of cars passing the streets intermittently sped off to the distance. Mai couldn't help but succumb to her need for a giant stretch, reaching her arms up high in the air and causing her sweater to ride up. She quickly tugged it back down. She has not had the chance to see the coming of dawn ever since she started going to university, preferring instead to sleep in and start her day a bit later than others. Tentatively she cast a glance at her boss walking slightly in front of her and tried to apologize once again. "Hey, come on. I'm really sorry I couldn't wake up on time... " When he didn't reply, she continued thoughtfully, "Lin-san might be there already. Maybe I should just stay outside for twenty minutes so I can come in later than you. He probably won't suspect anything if we do it that way."

Finally, the boy turned to her. With a frown he replied, "We don't have to do that."

"I know Lin-san most likely won't say anything, but still, we have to be careful to keep this a secret."

"You may be right," He sighed. After some deliberation, he added, "But you can't possibly just stand out here for twenty minutes doing nothing. Make it five."

"Ten?"

"Five," he repeated firmly. Mai knew she was defeated and nodded. It was hard to argue with him when he went on his boss mode.

"Okay. But what do you think I should do about my clothes? I'm wearing the exact same thing as yesterday. I knew I should have gone home after…" she broke off and blushed, then turned away to fan herself. She was not going to look him in the eye because she knew he would be smirking at her.

"Take off the thin sweater."

She sighed exasperatedly. "Obviously I'll have to do that since it's been hot lately. I mean my clothes underneath!"

He shrugged, lacking interest in the topic of fashion and muttered, "Just think of something." He then looked at her and wordlessly made her understood that he would be going on ahead of her. She sighed and called out to him that she will be following in a bit.

After carefully timing herself, she entered the SPR office five minutes later. As she had expected, Lin-san had already arrived, but what surprised her was the fact that he sat so still in the main office while sipping the tea he prepared for himself. She greeted him as cheerfully as she can and after a quick scan of the room, figured that Naru must have already buried himself in his books back in his office. Mai entered and decided correctly not to interrupt both Lin and Naru's quiet time with her idle chatter. She can wait until Yasuhara-kun gets in later.

Seeing the pile of old reports she still had to sort through and digitize, she set her small knapsack down and slumped down, getting ready to work. Thankfully, today was going to be a shorter day than usual. Finally, although she must admit it to be very mean of her to think so, her main source of irritation for the past few months (or Mr. Higgs as he was otherwise called) is finally headed back home. It was the release she's been waiting for.

The British man had been nothing but a nightmare. Compared to Naru, his way of treating her was honestly not too different on the surface, but what was annoyingly endearing with Naru was that though he could be mean, there was always some hidden, more _gentle_ emotions hiding behind his words. With Mr. Higgs, it was nothing but pure irritation, which naturally elicited the same kind of reaction from her (although she knew her place and decided to not show it as much). But how could she help it? The man was beyond understandable with his Japanese, and she could not, for the life of her, converse in English. She cringed when she remembered her first introduction to him, back when they were both completely oblivious to the way their relationship was going to turn out.

-00-

Naru and Lin arrived at the office with the British man in tow. She and Yasuhara had been warned some days before that a scientist from BSPR was going to be training under their care for three months' duration, but since this was the first iteration of the new Scientist Exchange Program, Naru had rightly surmised the upper management was severely unprepared for the kind of culture shock they were going to subject their researchers into. He very much doubted that these first generation of scientists have taken at least an entire year for their language classes, meaning that Mr. Higgs was most likely going to be highly unintelligible and would not be able to communicate well with others. Naru had not been wrong in the least.

Naru made the introductions in Japanese to test the waters.

"Mr. Higgs, these are our two part-time assistants. This is Osamu Yasuhara. Yasuhara-san, this is Mr. Higgs." Yasu hara made a motion to take a bow, but as Mr. Higgs extended his hand, he immediately changed his course of action and instead smoothly reached his right hand out and shook it.

" _Hajimeshta._ _Ohayow gozaymas, Higgs-san des,_ " Mr. Higgs said as he firmly shook Yasuhara's hands. Mai had to stop herself from frowning in confusion at this, but when she cast a sidelong glace at Yasuhara, she could see in his face that the words also struck his ears weird but he made a very good show of self control. She imagined herself biting her lip to refrain from laughter.

Naru cleared his throat. "And the female over there is Mai Taniyama."

He did the same thing and shook her hand, saying the same butchered words. "O-ohayo gozaimasu..." she managed to say back, although it still felt strange to begin their meeting like that, especially since it was already noon time, although that was the least of the problem.

"Mr. Higgs, Lin will now show you the shared office-" Naru's voice was cut off when Mr. Higgs held out his hand and shook his head vehemently.

" _No, no, I'm sorry chap, I absolutely cannot understand a word. Can we converse in English? It might be better for everyone that way. They can understand, right?"_

Mai saw that Naru hesitated, but unwilling to give their new guest a bad impression of herself, she flashed her boss a pleading look that begged him to just agree. She could still understand some words anyway and she certainly understood the gist of what he was saying. She was going to be fine speaking with him in English. Seeing her determined look, Naru sighed and replied in English, " _Yes, if that would make things easier for you."_ Mai looked at Naru gratefully. But now looking back, she realized that had been her first mistake. All her other mistakes after that could have been avoided or mitigated if only she had been honest about her lack in English comprehension and speaking skills, but that was all in the past. Now, he was leaving and she wouldn't have to deal with him anymore.

-00-

After she snapped out of her thoughts, she came to realize that Lin had already long disappeared into his office. It had been an hour since she arrived and still the reports on her desk hasn't dwindled much in numbers. As the office started getting warmer and feeling awkward that her clothes were completely recycled from yesterday, she took off the jacket and the white shirt, opting to just go with her tank top. It showed much of her skin, but she figured it would be acceptable enough given the heat wave.

Later on Yasuhara arrived and joined her in alphabetizing the reports, but as she had foreseen, the day was indeed progressing much slower than normal, unfortunately affording her plenty of occasion to keep zoning out and begin recalling last night's events. It surprised her just how much Naru took control of the situation, how bold and confident he had been. Although now that she thought about it, was that something to be surprised about? What exactly was she expecting? You would think that his narcissistic and bossy personality would naturally translate into him taking control in the bed, but at the same time, this same personality probably was the reason not many girls have gotten close to him so he couldn't have had much practice. Furthermore he had been strong and daring, yet at the same time gentle and accommodating to her needs. At any rate, Naru was definitely a walking contradiction. She smiled as she finished to herself, " _And he's all mine._ "

"Mai-san, that's the wrong heading again."

She blinked and turned to her side where Yasuhara pointed to the folder named Kunikida Case File she'd filed under the letter 'M'. "A-ah, sorry..."

"What's going on, Mai-san? You keep sighing and staring off into the distance. Fantasizing about a guy? Come to think of it, you're also wearing quite the daring outfit. Are you going on a date later?"

" _Oops, there's no way Yasuhara-kun could read thoughts, right_?" she asked herself in a panic. " _Testing, testing. If you can hear me Yasuhara-kun, wink at me!_ " But he did nothing of the sort so she breathed easier. Then out loud she said laughingly, "No, what? Are you talking about this tank top?" she pulled at the end of her shirt and snorted. "This is hardly date material though!" In fact, it had been an undershirt from yesterday. Definitely not something you'd want to wear on a date.

"I disagree. Chic and sensual. I like it. Really Mai-san, you should wear that around more often."

The glint in Yasuhara's eyes reminded her the way Naru had looked at her back to last night when she called him over to taste the soup. She blushed deeply. "H-hey, -II know it's inappropriate, but I just didn't have any other change of clothes..." Thankfully their conversation was derailed when Mr. Higgs' voice floated out of Naru's office. Mai didn't even remember seeing Mr. Higgs come in today. Just how out of it had she been?

"Mai, please prepare us some tea."

"-Ah, coffee for me please," the British man interjected quickly in his best Japanese, then turned to his companion and resumed in English, " _Need to perk me up for the long flight ahead._ _Very excited to get working on those reports while I'm out. Gets awfully boring doing nothing else on the plane but twiddle my thumbs."_

Mai didn't even hear the latter part of his speech as she caught Naru's eyes glancing at her. His eyebrow was slightly raised and he had a subtle smirk playing on his lips, but she couldn't understand what it meant. She set about preparing two sets of tea and heard them speaking as though from a great distance. Her mind was still elsewhere.

When she finished her preparation, Naru had already settled himself by Lin's office doorway, but as she walked past him his words totally caught her by surprise. "Soba sounds good again for tonight." Her whole body flushed at this, understanding his meaning and wanting to rebuke him for being so recklessly lewd in front of the others. However after hearing Mr. Higgs reply to his comment, she realized it had been a fairly innocuous sentence.

" _Did you have yourself a plate of soba last night, Oliver?_ " Mai understood that.

" _Why yes, I did enjoy it last night._ " Mai understood that as well.

To mask her embarrassment, she coughed and ran back to her desk, trying not to catch Naru's eyes. All she wanted to do at that moment was disappear. She was literally Naru's weakness right now, any mistakes from her could make the others suspect there was something going on between the two. However it was all entirely his fault; she wasn't built to be emotionally detached like he was! Provoke her and the whole truth would easily come gushing out of her. It had been proven time and time again that she was never good at holding secrets. She tried to steel herself once again and resume filing, but unfortunately Naru's voice called out to her again.

"Mai. I believe Mr. Higgs asked for coffee. You have given him tea."

 _"Damn it all,"_ she groaned inwardly. She apologized profusely, but knew it was most likely the last straw between the two of them. By now, Mr. Higgs definitely hated her guts and probably thought she had been consciously trying to make his life hell all this time. When he rebuffed her apologies, she gave up and slumped down her chair. No use trying to fight a losing battle. He was going to be gone soon now and all will be well again. She turned to Yasuhara next to her and struck up a conversation, trying to drown out their English out of her head, although unfortunately for her, her conversation with Yasuhara went back to the one that had been interrupted moments before.

"So care to tell me what's been on your mind?"

She had to come up with a quick lie. "A-ah... just going crazy with school work. Science and math classes are just totally kicking my butt right now." That was a good one. It wasn't completely a lie, just irrelevant.

"I can help you, you know. Tutoring, if you need it."

Although she was tempted by the offer since she knew the boy would be easier to deal with than Naru (who could get quite nasty with his reprimands whenever she kept making the same mistakes on her homework), she refused his offer with an apology. "No, please. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you with that. Actually as much as I protest, I really want to try solving it on my own. If I do give up though, I'll be sure to ask you." She felt bad lying to her friend, but she didn't want to hurt Naru's feelings by ditching his lessons in favor of Yasuhara. Or maybe he wouldn't have minded?

Eventually Mr. Higgs left. She tried not to dwell too much on his rudeness up to the last minute and tried her very best to be civil up to the moment he walked out the door. But as soon as he stepped out, she rolled her eyes and made a face. Naru saw her and raised his brow.

"Mai. Come into the office."

She sighed and turned to Yasuhara. "Sorry, Yasuhara-kun. Can you take over the work for a while?"

"Aa. No worries." Yasuhara smiled at her sympathetically, thinking that she would probably be scolded for how she had messed up with the coffee.

Naru locked the door behind him as they both stepped into his office. Unsure about his mood, she didn't know whether it was okay to make an indecent joke about their situation or whether she should prepare herself for a stern lecturing. Oh the difficulties of secretly dating your own boss.

"I know you and Mr. Higgs had not seen eye to eye since the beginning, but can you elaborate on the situation? It's been... perplexing." He clasped his hands together and rested it under his chin and leaned forward on his table, eager to hear her story.

"I just can't understand him. He goes to visit our country and expects us to speak to him in his own language? What kind of a moron does that? That already made me not like him from the beginning, but the way he treated me because I couldn't speak to him... how rude! And it's not like his Japanese was any better than my English, either." She huffed and continued, "I mean, there was this one time where he handed me a rough report I wrote a while ago, I don't know where he got it from or what he planned to do with it. He just said to me, ' _Shouji file desu?'*_ And of course I thought he was trying to tell me that he was giving me the Shouji case file so I nodded and took it away. Then he said, ' _No, no. Shouji file desu?'_ I was so confused so I repeated to him, " _Shouji file desu.'_ It wasn't until Lin-san came up to us and spoke to him, then clarified the situation to me. Apparently Mr. Higgs was trying to ask me if the folder he was handing to me was the Shouji file case since he wanted to scan it in, but I just kept taking it from him." At this point, her voice had gotten louder. "I mean, how was I supposed to understand that he was actually trying to ask me a question? I didn't know why he was inflecting _desu_ like that. How was I supposed to know he's asking me a question instead of telling me a fact?"

By the time she finished her annoyance had skyrocketed, but she caught herself and let out a breath to calm herself back down, telling herself there was no need to get worked up over it. All her thoughts derailed as she saw the boy slightly shaking in front of her. "Naru?" She had to blink several times to come to the realization that he was shaking from a quiet laughter. His left arm was holding on to his stomach as if to prevent it from hurting any further, while his right hand was curled into a soft fist, held up near his mouth to stifle his laughter. If Naru had allowed others to see him like this, she didn't doubt the others would have thought hell finally froze over.

" _He's always so graceful, even as he laughs uncontrollably,_ " she thought, feeling selfishly happy that he only ever allowed himself to show his more affectionate side to her. Then when a few more seconds passed and he still kept laughing to the point where tears were threatening to fall from his eye, she pouted and said, "Okay, can you stop laughing at me now?"

He eventually calmed himself down and shook his head, his eyes still laughing as he said, "I'm sorry, that was funny." Then taking a deep breath, he resumed the conversation. "Well that's out of the way; we should be back to normal operations after today."

"Okay well setting all that business aside, what were you doing saying that back there! I almost had a heart attack, you know. If the others realized what you meant..."

"What, you mean about wanting soba for tonight? But it's true. I want some."

She pursed her lips and looked at him dubiously. "Really? Soba, or-?"

"Or?"

"Okay, you're just teasing me."

Naru let out another chuckle. "Maybe if you didn't wear the shirt that started it, I wouldn't have said anything."

"Is that why you locked the door?" she teased back. "Maybe you're feeling daring enough for something to happen in the office?" At this she leaned over the desk and tugged on his polo shirt.

"Don't try to get me too excited."

Mai laughed this time. "Really, are you excited? It's hard to tell with your face right now; you just look like the normal sulky Naru." Her grip was still on his clothes, but she released it and finished buttoning up his shirt for him. She forgot to tell him that morning that he left it undone.

"Although I could control my face-" he began, but let the sentence linger before curling up his lips into a naughty smile, taking Mai by surprise. She gasped and playfully hit him on the hand. "Kidding aside, I like that top on you."

Before she could stop herself, she replied, "Yeah, Yasuhara-kun said the same thing. Said I should wear it around the office more often."

"Did he now?" His eyes narrowed, but instead of saying anything else further, he just took up his book and began reading. Mai was unsure whether she had said something to upset him, but before she could apologize, he said, "Will you come again today?"

"What? I can't go back to work wearing the same set of clothes three days in a row." He looked hurt at her refusal, but she quickly amended it by saying, "How about your turn? You can come over tonight and I'll prepare soba. Again."

"Hm," he mumbled, before smiling and turning back to his book. She turned to leave, but before she could open the door, he asked softly, "You have a futon, right?"

She laughed, butterflies tickling her stomach, and replied, "Yes."

Mai left his office and sat back down to her desk, meeting Yasuhara's questioning look, but she ignored him for a moment as she tried to process what had just happened behind closed doors. Finally she addressed him. "Oh, we just had the usual spat, you know the deal."

"I heard you yelling for a while there. Thought it was going to be a shouting match."

"No, we calmed down in the end."

The sudden sound of a door being thrown open made the two of them turn their heads. They met Naru's irritable glare; he was holding a black scarf in his hands and threw it to Mai. He snapped, "You shouldn't be wearing inappropriate clothing at work," before disappearing into his office again. As Yasuhara sighed and wondered about Naru's wild mood-swings, Mai silently smiled to herself, understanding the meaning behind those actions. Naru was actually jealous! " _So he did feel annoyed back then. That sneaky man."_

* * *

 _A/N: Hajimeshta. Ohayow gozaymas, Higgs-san des* = (Hajimemashite. Ohayou gozaimasu, Higgs-san desu.) Okay, so Mr. Higgs is a total Japanese noob and doesn't remember shit. Hajimemashite is something you say to someone you are meeting for the very first time and only that first time. The next sentence means good morning, but it's not something you really say to someone during the introductions, so this is weird. As lastly he calls himself Higgs-san, which is polite form. It's generally not a good idea to refer to yourself in the polite form._

 _*Shouji file desu?* = He was inflecting the end of the sentence as if asking questions in English. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've been under the impression that in Japan ending a sentence in 'desu' is more of a statement. If he wanted to make it clear he was asking a question, he should have said 'Kore wa Shouji file desu ka'?_


	5. I'm Sorry

_A/N: A break again! More NaruxMai fluff for everyone. Yay._

* * *

 **I'm Sorry**

"Naru, no! You _can't_ do that!" She stepped in front of him and held her arms wide to block her boss from leaving his office, eyes desperately pleading him to reconsider. She did not budge from her spot even as she shot him a very nasty glare.

"I can, and I _will_ ," he said bitingly, tightly grasping one of her outstretched arms and pulling her slightly away from the doorway. "It's the only way. She has become too consumed in her need for revenge that she is unable to be reasoned with."

"Y-you'll kill her!"

"She is already _dead_ , Mai," he deadpanned as he tugged one more time, tipping her slightly off balance and she fell forward into him. He grabbed her shoulders and brushed her aside completely.

Still, she was relentless in her attack. "You'll be robbing her of the afterlife, Naru! _Please_ , _don't do this_!"

He let out a sharp breath in pure exasperation and wheeled around to glare at his impertinent assistant. In a dangerously low growl, he repeated once again, "We have already exhausted all avenues to try and properly excorcise her spirit. _There is no other choice._ Three people are already dead due to her influence and if we do not make a choice soon, more people will die. Or are you okay with that in your conscience?"

Mai felt the tears flow freely across her face as she scowled back at him, determined to make her point across. "She didn't choose to be a vengeful spirit! Those people were the ones who made her suffer-they tortured her for so long, Naru, and didn't even have the mercy in them to finish her off! They're the ones who turned her into a monster!"

"That is not an excuse to condone her actions! There are two more people in danger. Are you telling me we should do nothing?" At this, Mai bit her tongue and clenched her fists. He continued in the same half-raised voice, "And do you seriously naively think that she will stop after she gets what she wants? Vengeful spirits are those who have fully descended into perdition and have no more sense of what's right or wrong. Do _not_ prove yourself more stupid than I think you already are."

With those last words, she let her fists fall. Her tears now flowed like a deluge, and her face, full of determination just a few minutes ago, now screwed up into a pained grimace. For a moment her lips quivered but she bit it back. Monk and the others, who had given them their privacy by waiting silently outside the office, now quickly gathered around and tried to calm the heavy tension between the two.

"H-hey, let's pull back a little bit here," Bou-san said mildly.

While still holding her own against his pointed gaze, Mai sniffled and brushed away her tears. She took a deep breath and with a surprising calmness in her voice, said, "You wouldn't understand her pain. You're too rigid, too arrogant with your morals; you only see in black and white."

He only stared at her. Eventually, in the midst of her sniffling, he countered, "Our job is to stop the spirit from hurting anybody further. It is not to administer justice."

"It's all just a job to you, you unfeeling asshole." Bou-san called out her name to admonish her, but she ignored him. "You never consider other people's feelings, their reasons why they do things. All you care about are results. And so now you're going to wipe Hiroka-san out of existence because she's devolved into an evil being, which she never would have become into in the first place if these monsters never touched her." She sniffled one last time and wiped the last of her tears. "You have no qualms about harming the real victim as long as you finish the job. _You're a heartless monster_."

"Mai! That's uncalled for!" Bou-san called out sharply once again.

"No need, I'm done here." Naru turned around and exited the building wordlessly.

The towering Lin moved to follow him, but turned around toward Mai's vulnerable figure and bowed slightly, his lips tight and slightly downturned. He opened his mouth to make an excuse for his young charge's aggravatingly stolid behavior, but figured it wasn't his place to do so and instead said, "Excuse us. We should finish everything up by tonight and should have no further need for your help. Taniyama-san... please do not forget to lock up the office when you retire for the day." Mai just gave him a tiny nod and as soon as he closed the door, he heard her explode back into tears.

-00000-

"I have informed the client that we have successfully banished the spirit. This case is now officially closed," Lin said in his business-like tone, his eyes focusing on the road in front of him as visibility was slightly poor due to the falling snow around them. He didn't need to look to know that the boy beside him was in an incredibly foul mood, for the car was currently several degrees colder than the already frigid temperature outside. He tried to turn the heater up further, but it was already on full blast.

"Noll, calm down." His hands were getting quite numb from the biting cold.

A sharp exhale came from his companion. Then a much slower breath in, and a controlled out. He did this several times. "I wasn't losing control."

"No," was all Lin could say, not wanting to provoke him further. He drove on in silence, thankful that at least the temperature inside had gone up to comfortable levels, until they reached their apartment building. He maneuvered the car into their parking lot and exited the vehicle, thinking Noll would soon follow suit, but when Noll didn't come out of the car, Lin frowned and poked his head back in. "What are you doing?"

Noll was still scowling, his brow furrowed, and he clicked his tongue in annoyance. He exited his side of the vehicle, but to Lin's surprise, instead of walking away toward the building, walked to the driver's side and gently nudged him out of the way to re-enter the car. He held out his hand. "Key."

"Where are you going so late?"

"Out."

Lin placed the key in Naru's outstretched palm and sighed. "Be careful driving, the road is a little slippery." He closed the door and stood back as Noll started the engine. Before he could pull the car out, he knocked on the window, prompting Noll to roll it down.

"What?"

"Try to not lose your temper again."

-00000-

Mai sighed into her pillow. She was curled up in her futon, her thoughts ambling about in her head as she recalled her epic fight with her boss that afternoon. Now that she thought about it, something like this had happened before as well. During the Ryokuryou High School case, when he had planned on using the hitogata to take the full brunt of the curse instead of actually turning it against the students-hadn't she been completely in the wrong then?

Today she had been too much of a hypocrite, telling him that he never considered other people's feelings. Hadn't she been doing the same to him? She just realized after he left that of course he had to have felt some remorse at his decision (it also helped that Bou-san, Ayako, Yasuhara, John, and Masako talked to her at length in an effort to calm her down), but right now it was more important to save the lives they could protect. And although Mai didn't want to acknowledge it at first, she finally listened to her instinct telling her that Hiroka was no longer the same girl. She had been twisted into pure evil whose thirst for blood and revenge completely engulfed her being.

When will she ever learn that Naru always weighed the pros and cons of every decision first before deciding on an answer?

In the darkness of her room, she burrowed her head deeper into her pillow and let out a scream. A sudden knock at her front door startled her and she snapped her head toward the clock on the floor beside her and frowned. It was already close to midnight. Whoever could be calling in?

Tentatively she turned on all her lights and tiptoed toward the door, holding her breath as she peeked through the peephole. She gasped and immediately yanked the door open, suddenly shivering after letting in the cold December chill. Before her stood Naru, wearing the same black trenchcoat he had since the morning, his scarf wrapped several times around his neck. He was in the middle of rubbing his hands together and blowing hot air into them. He blinked at her and asked, "Sorry, were you already sleeping?"

She shook her head and bid him to step in, blinking rapidly. What on earth was he doing here at this late hour? After closing the door behind him, she led him to her sofa and went straight to preparing him a cup of tea. They awkwardly stayed in silence until the kettle screamed. When she walked back towards him to hand him his tea, he had already removed his coat and scarf and was watching her studiously. She only had one loveseat, so she had no other choice but to sit down next to him.

"So... what brings you here so late?" she asked, hoping her voice wasn't too flippant for she still needed to apologize to him.

"I came to apologize," he said wisftully. "I lost my temper at work today and made you extremely angry. I'm sorry."

" _This scenario again!"_ she thought, annoyed at her inability to stop turning a deep shade of red. Outloud, she cried, "No! That's not fair, you did it again!" She looked at him with fiercely shining eyes and her breath hitched at her breast. Why did Naru always have to make her feel this way? " _I_ was the one who lost my temper and said pretty horrible things to you. I was too quick to point fingers at you and criticize your decision even though if only I thought about it more I would have realized that you were right all along. I should be the one sorry! You don't have to apologize... you're not fair," she finished lamely, staring back down into her lap. Her heart was beating fast and she somehow felt herself extremely happy.

Naru let out a sigh and said in a surprisingly gentle tone, "How do I ever win with you? When I say the wrong things, you get mad. When I apologize, you get mad." Mai looked up and met his soft gaze.

With a shy smile she said, "No, I'm not mad. Just... how do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

She answered in a whisper she was sure he couldn't hear. "Make me happy..."

When she didn't elaborate further, he continued with just the slightest bit of hesitation. "I was too harsh to you this afternoon and that just made it harder for you to accept the difficult choice we had to make. " Then with a slight smirk as was very becoming of him, added, "Even though in the end I made the right call."

Mai half scoffed, half laughed. "Are you really apologizing, or what?"

"I was, but then you said I didn't need to."

"Did you really come all the way here at this late hour just to apologize?"

At this, Naru stiffened and turned a very slight shade of pink, suddenly realizing how irrational and silly he had acted. Couldn't he have just waited until tomorrow to settle their difference? Why had he been so consumed with the idea of making up with her that he just had to drive back out in this weather and rouse her from bed? "For that... I suppose I must apologize as well. I wasn't thinking. I'm keeping you up so I better go." He made the motion to grab his things, but Mai caught the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him back down.

With a tiny voice and a crimson face, she said breathlessly, "No, please. Can you stay longer? I actually wasn't asleep yet since I'd been thinking about you." At this, Naru coughed and unbuttoned the top of his shirt to loosen the tightness around his throat, then awkwardly let the hand that Mai was currently clutching rest back on his lap, unsure what to do next. Realizing how she must have sounded, Mai's eyes bulged and she quickly shook her hands in front of her, "I-I meant I was thinking about how I was going to apologize to you. That came out wrong!"

It took a few minutes before the tension around them dissipated into bearable levels. Naru wondered briefly whether it had always been like this between the two of them, but realized that perhaps it was the fact that he was inside her apartment alone with her so late at night that had to do with the electrifying tension surrounding them.

Finally it was Mai who spoke. "Thank you. For coming out here and talking to me. I feel better now that we're not mad at each other anymore."

Naru stared intently at her, then merely grunted. "Good." The tightness around his chest abated until it disappeared completely and he breathed freely.

He never wanted her to suffer. It made his chest ache. He had been severely irritated with himself, knowing that the tears she shed that day were directly caused by him. With him being just a simple idiot scientist, it was difficult for him to know the things he ought and ought not to do around her. Luckily, unlike others who held him to perfection like a god and thus had very high expectations for him never to make a single mistake, Mai was very understanding and forgiving of all his imperfections. It was part of her endearing charm that drew him in so strongly toward her. Still, he figured he should be more careful in the future as surely even her good heart had its limit. "Good," he repeated, "That makes me feel better, too."


	6. Caretakers

**A/N:** _Whoa, an update on a fluffshot! This popped up into my head and I didn't have any place in it for my other stories, so it gets dumped here. Title sucks, but I can't think of anything else. As usual, Naru/Mai, with just a tease of Lin/Mai._

* * *

 **Caretakers**

She slumped over the table, lightly banging her forehead against the cool wooden surface, and gave a forlorn sigh. It was just her luck that the only responsible adults (read: drivers) involved in her life just happened to all be suddenly called out of town when she needed them the most. And she had already locked in the appointment, too, after agonizing about the decision whether to go through with it or not. She'd been losing some sleep over it, mulling over the pros and cons of undergoing such a procedure, and just when she'd finally gathered her courage and got past the first step, Fate suddenly jumped from the sidelines and spat in her face, ' _Just kidding!'_

She cradled her head and groaned in frustration.

"Mai. How many times have I asked you not to slack off during work hours?"

She shot back up and squeaked, "Yes, Boss! Won't happen again!"

Mai held her erect position for a few seconds, just waiting for her narcissistic boss to eventually lose interest in her antics, but instead she felt his questioning gaze lingering upon her. As usual, the boy was refusing to speak any words that would usually be required to start the conversation he obviously wanted to pursue. It frustrated her how he simply waited for an explanation, expecting her to satisfy his curiosity without him having to put much effort on his part. She knew how this was going to pan out: he would stare her into submission, force her to tell him her problems, he would listen and make some insulting comments, and once satisfied about _knowing_ what the problem was about, simply stalk back into his lair. Mai really didn't want to oblige him and wished to make some pointed remarks, to call him out on his bullshit attitude, but the overwhelming sense of defeat was making her wits dull.

"Ugh. I have an appointment tomorrow morning with the oral surgeon to have four wisdom teeth removed, but they require someone to stay there and wait for me. I initially planned on asking Yasu, but they said it had to be someone who can drive me to and back." She looked at him to gauge his reaction but so far, he hadn't moved a muscle. "So naturally Bou-san would have been my first choice, but he suddenly got called out to do an exorcism out of town. Ayako is completely booked up with patients tomorrow, and John won't be back until two days from now."

The unspoken question hung in the air but Mai didn't want to voice it out in fear of flat out refusal. However, Naru was staunchly refusing to read the atmosphere and Mai had to internally roll her eyes. "Well, so I was wondering if I could ask you for a huge, huge favor?"

"I don't drive."

Mai closed her eyes. "Y-yes, I know that. But Lin-san does, and I was wondering if you guys would be okay with giving me a lift tomorrow and helping me get back to my apartment?"

Naru raised his brow. "Why don't you ask Lin yourself?"

She cowered a bit in her seat and mumbled, "I… I'm too afraid to ask him directly. And I was thinking I'd feel better if you were there too, because Lin-san would be very intimidating and I don't want to bug him when I get drugged up. I don't know what sorts of things I would say. I might end up annoying him." When she looked up, she grimaced. Naru's face was very blank, but she could tell from the aura seeping out of him that he was quite miffed.

Before she could guess as to the reasons of his glare, Naru suddenly responded (and Mai could have sworn it was with a tone that was almost petulant), "And you think I'm less intimidating? And that it's okay to annoy me?"

"E-erm… I'm saying that I… that I feel more at ease with you around," she reluctantly answered with embarrassment. She looked away and took a deep breath, then turned back to him and haughtily pressed, "So? Will you, or not? I have to make a decision now if I should call them to reschedule."

Naru's next words surprised her. Of course he had to preface it with a reluctant sigh, but still it was a sign of an indirect acceptance. "What time is the appointment for?"

"T-Ten in the morning! The procedure itself wouldn't take long. I was told it'd most likely take thirty minutes."

"Fine. We'll pick you up then." He turned to leave, but stopped when Mai called to him one last time.

"O-oh, Naru?"

"What is it?"

She gave out an uncomfortable chuckle and answered sheepishly, "I'll probably be needing to take Monday and Tuesday off."

-00000-

Naru simply observed in the sideline as Lin struggled to help the uncooperative semi-conscious girl get situated inside the van. Once the ordeal was over, Lin gave Naru a passing glare, one which the boy simply shrugged off, and settled himself in the driver's seat. Naru took the seat beside Mai and realizing that Lin chose to not finish the job of putting on her seat belt, breathed out in mild annoyance and reached over the girl to click her in.

Finally they got moving. Naru was content to sit in silence, but unfortunately for him, Mai, who had just undergone surgery and was incredibly doped up on painkillers and anesthesia, was in a strange mood. Several times she tried to reach into her mouth with her fingers, and every time Naru had to pull her hand away. She would listen, but then she'd forget what she'd just done and she'd try to reach in again. Finally Naru had had enough.

"Mai. What in the world are you trying to do?" he asked irritably as he, once again, pulled her hand away. Thinking it'd be best to keep the hand occupied, he grasped her hand tightly in his and pinned it down to his side.

"My mouth feels funny," she slurred.

Naru wanted to spit out, ' _you_ look _funny'_ , what with her puffed up cheeks, half-bloodied gauze peeking out of her mouth, and heavily-lidded eyes, but instead he swallowed his retort and waited for her to elaborate.

"I can't… I can't."

Naru wasn't sure what Mai was trying to tell him, but when he watched her closely, he saw her tongue swishing around inside her mouth, trying to feel out the gauze. He cringed at the possibility of her pulling out the gauze by accident and exposing her wound, which would no doubt cause her extreme pain once the painkiller runs out. "Stop that," he snapped tersely. "Don't move around your tongue so much."

"B-but I can't! Naru… I don't have a tongue!" she lamented. "My tongue… the doctor took it." She leaned her head on his shoulder, unable to hold it up any longer from exhaustion, but still she kept talking. "Why? Why'd they steal it? It's expensive. I can't afford another one…" She started sobbing softly.

Beside him, Lin broke out in a silent chuckle. However, not one to be amused by illogicality, Naru pointed out, "Mai, you _have_ your tongue. How else are you speaking?"

" _No, Naru,"_ she stressed, as if she was trying to talk to an imbecile, "My tongue's been stolen! I don't have one! See?" she stuck her tongue out.

Naru groaned. "Your tongue is unsightly at the moment, Mai. It's bloody. Stop talking too much, you're aggravating your wound."

"What about my tongue?"

Naru sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Your tongue is insured. We'll get you a new one tomorrow," he finally relented. Thankfully, this placated the brunette and she sighed contently and nodded, finally closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

A few minutes passed in silence until Lin broke it by saying in a hushed tone, "I will drop you both off first and I'll drive back to pick up her prescription."

"It's a waste of time. Can't you just swing by now and pick it up?"

"She looks exhausted, Noll. It'd be best if we can get her home as soon as possible. I'd still have to wait for the pharmacy to fill out the prescription."

When Mai nuzzled deeper into his chest, Naru looked away toward the window and muttered, "Fine."

-000-

The minute he saw her stir in the bed, he closed his book shut. Mai had been sleeping deeply since the car ride back home and Lin had to carry her up the stairs into her apartment, bridal style. After Lin assured him that he'd be back as quickly as possible, Naru locked the door behind him and found himself a comfortable position by the foot of her bed where he can keep an eye on her.

She opened her eyes and blinked several times, staring at the ceiling in confusion.

"Mai, you're finally awake."

His voice jolted her. She snapped her eyes down and stared at him dumbly and mumbled, "Oh, that's right. That went by a lot faster than I'd imagined. I could have sworn I was just sitting in the dentist chair a few minutes ago." She sighed and gave him a warm, thankful smile. "H-how long have you been here? And how long will you be staying with me?"

"Good, it seems you're coherent now." Then to answer her questions, he said, "It's been half an hour since we've brought you home. Lin went to the pharmacy to get your prescription. We will be staying until Yasuhara-san comes to relieve us in three hours."

Mai blushed. "I see. Please don't feel like you have to wait until he gets here. I can stay for a couple hours by myself, so once Lin-san gets here… well I'm sure you're both very busy."

Naru gave a small shrug. "We've cleared our schedule. Besides, there will be a small matter of logistics. You aren't to get off your bed and start walking on your own, so unless we left the door unlocked on our way out, Yasuhara-san won't be able to come in for his next shift." He gave a momentary pause before adding, "And I would not advise leaving the front door unlocked even for a few hours while you are completely unable to defend yourself."

Mai suddenly felt a slight pang of pain in her jaw and she gently massaged it. Distracted by the dull ache, she replied nonchalantly, "That's not a problem. Yasu actually has a copy of my key, so you can lock the door."

"You've given Yasuhara-san a copy of the key to your apartment?"

She nodded carelessly. "He swings by often, anyway."

He was unsure why he disliked the sound of that.

"Bou-san, too," she continued. "Sometimes he comes by and cooks for me. Oh, John, too. "

Naru frowned and before he could stop himself he muttered sullenly, "What, are you handing out your keys like candy?"

Mai turned to him and looked at him quizzically. "No… Well I lost my own key once and I had to borrow the one I gave to Bou-san. John tagged along with me to the store to get a copy and since there was a deal going on, I ended up getting two copies and just gave the other to John. No harm done in that." Suddenly, Mai winced and gave a small whimper.

"Mai?"

"I-it's starting to really hurt…"

Naru stood up from his seat and walked over to her. "The anesthesia is wearing off. Lin will be here soon with your painkillers. Do you think you can cope until then?"

Mai knitted her brows in pain, but nodded weakly.

-000-

Sometime later, Mai started crying out in pain. Tears flowed freely as she whined pitifully, "It huuuurts so bad!"

Naru was at a loss as to what to do. When Mai opened her mouth, he could see it was bleeding badly. He stood up in alarm and quickly guided her to the bathroom. He opened up the tap water, filled a nearby available cup halfway, and handed it to her.

"Here, rinse your mouth out, but don't create any suction that might dislodge the clot," he tried to say calmly, but the brunette was on the point of hysterics and was inconsolable. "Calm down, Mai," he coaxed gently, awkwardly rubbing her back in circles in a futile attempt to ease her pain.

She leaned over the sink and spat her bloodied saliva out, gently rinsing her mouth with the water, but the red tinge would not abate. Neither would the throbbing pain in her jaw.

Naru took out his phone and quickly dialed Lin's number. "Lin," he said curtly, "Where are you? Mai's anesthesia has run out and she's in a lot of pain. She's bleeding quite profusely."

" _I'm almost there. Does she need her bandage changed?"_

The boy paused. He took a gulp and made a face, but decided to follow through anyway. Taking Mai by the shoulders, he asked her to open her mouth so he could take a look. What he saw made his knees weak and a huge lump in his throat started forming. He felt sick. Glad to have an excuse to turn away, he replied to Lin, "Yes, she needs it changed. It's soaked thoroughly." Behind him, Mai howled in pain.

" _You'll have to help her change it out, Noll."_

"What? How do you mean help?" his insides went cold.

" _Pull out the bandages and get her sorted with new, clean ones. The doctor packed some extra gauze in the bag."_

Naru cringed again. If there was one thing he was weak against, it was mouth wounds. Gene had undergone a similar surgery once and watching Luella changing out his bloodied bandages and seeing a bright, red, gaping wound inside his brother's mouth was enough to traumatize him for a lifetime. He croaked out, "Lin." Unspoken was the emphatic plead of _'please do not tell me to do that. You know I can't.'_

On the other line, Lin sighed. " _I am about two minutes away. Just help her calm down."_

"Alright." Naru clicked the line off. "Mai, Lin is almost here with the painkillers. Does rinsing it out with cool water help alleviate the pain somewhat?"

Mai nodded through tears.

"I'll grab some ice for your cheeks. It might help soothe the pain," He told her gently, patting her back softly before walking briskly out of the bathroom and making his way toward the kitchen. He grabbed a handful of ice and stuffed it inside a Ziplock container, adding a bit of cool water, and made his way back. Then, suddenly realizing he had locked the front door, Naru was about to take a quick detour toward the living room when the sound of the lock turning hit his ears. Lin's figure came into view, carrying several bags in his hands. Naru frowned.

Did she also give Lin a copy of her keys? When? And _why_ would Lin need a copy of it? Ignoring the annoyance bubbling out of his chest, he stepped out of the way as Lin strode past him confidently, deciding it was best to let the _onmyouji_ assess Mai's situation.

He watched as Lin cupped Mai's cheeks very gently. "Taniyama-san," he said, his voice soft and placating, "I'll have to change out your gauze to get you cleaned up." When Mai nodded and opened her mouth, Naru took that as his cue to slip back into the kitchen to get her a glass of water for her medication. By the time he got back, she had calmed down considerably and Lin was already washing out his hands.

He stepped inside the cramped bathroom with them and handed her the cup along with the pills, which she took gratefully from his outstretched palms and quickly quaffed down. "How long before this kicks in?" she asked between sniffles.

"Within fifteen minutes you'll be feeling drowsy and pain-free again," Naru answered.

-000-

The two gentlemen found themselves in her small kitchen. In one pot, Lin was busy preparing chicken noodle soup (following his mother's recipe, except he decided to chop up the noodles into very small pieces) so that Mai would have something to sustain her during the next couple of days. In the other pot, he was making a simple black beans and rice dish for their dinner.

"Yasuhara-san is very late," Naru mumbled to himself as he flipped a page on his book. With a slightly louder volume meant to catch Lin's ears, he asked out, "What time did he say he was going to be here?"

"Originally, three p.m, but he got held up with his activities. He thinks he may get here around seven."

Naru leaned back and closed his book, pressing his thumbs against his eyelids. It had been a long day. "Mai is due to drink her next dosage. Shall we wake her?"

"Yes, she'll need to eat first." He ladled on a small serving into a bowl and headed off to her room alongside his young charge.

Naru sat himself at the edge of her bed and shook her gently. "Mai. You'll have to eat so you can take your next dose. Mai." Eventually, the girl stirred under him, sleep and fogginess still evident in her eyes. The painkiller was still coursing through her system, dampening her mental state.

"I'm hungry," she said weakly. Lin settled himself down on the other side of the bed, letting the smell of the soup waft toward her to gain her attention. "Ooh, it smells good. What's that?"

"Chicken noodle soup. It will be easy for you to gulp down."

The girl nodded and opened her mouth, temporarily taking Lin by surprise. He did not think she would ask him to feed her, but feeling sorry for her current state, he simply pulled the corners of his mouth taut, scooped up a serving, and blew on it to make sure it was not hot. Then his next action surprised him, but before he could think he took a little sip from the spoon to test its temperature and brought it to her lips once he deemed it acceptable. Beside him, he could practically feel Noll raise his brow in astonishment.

"I had no idea you were on such friendly terms," Naru said stiffly. "And to think she was afraid of asking you to take her, when she'd already given you a key to her apartment and you're eating off of the same spoon." Lin was sure he could hear a bit of testiness in his voice, but his demeanor was emotionally blank. Noll was always good at masking his emotions.

"Jealousy does not become you, Noll."

This took the teenager aback, but he quickly recovered. "It's nice to know you'd finally developed a sense of humor."

"I'm putting an effort into it. Though it's not as dry as yours."

Naru rolled his eyes.

Finally, feeling a bit sorry for the poor boy, Lin explained, "Taniyama-san does not know I posses a copy of her key. Takigawa-san handed me a copy in the case Mai got into trouble and made me swear upon my honor I would never use it otherwise."

Naru didn't know why, but this statement somewhat placated him. "Presumptuous of the monk to do so."

"But understandable."

"Lin-san." Lin felt a small tug on his shirt and he looked down to see Mai's innocent, expectant look, softly demanding, "More." Lin gulped. Somewhere deep within him, he felt a tug of tender emotion that was quickly followed by guilt. He automatically gave Noll a sidelong glance.

" _Upon your honor_ ," Noll sarcastically drawled out, obviously understanding something deeper in that small exchange. Noll's observation skills were always topnotch.

Rather than try to clarify anything, Lin sighed and fed her another serving. There was a painful silence as she slowly took her dinner, Lin continually checking to make sure the soup was of the right temperature before giving it to her. After a while, she slightly pushed him away and scooted back to rest against her headboard, feeling quite content with the amount of food she'd taken. To his mortification, however, Taniyama suddenly smiled sweetly and slurred, "Lin-san, you're very handsome." She reached out and grazed her hands softly along his face.

If he could, Lin would have blushed. Instead, he pulled back and said evenly, "Thank you, Taniyama-san."

Mai nodded and her smile grew bigger. She suddenly shivered and pulled up the blanket and commented, "It's very cold in here."

Naru was startled by this and breathed out to calm himself down, despite his mounting annoyance that was only getting further exacerbated when Lin turned to his direction with a knowing smirk. "There's just a draft coming from that direction, Taniyama-san," Lin had carelessly pointed, presumably toward the window, but it happened to be on the same side Noll was on.

With an aggravated sigh, Noll stood up and offered Mai his hands, saying, "It's time to change your bandage again so you can drink your medication and go back to sleep. Come."

Lin stood up as well. "I'll be cleaning up the kitchen then. I'll leave you to it, Noll."

When Mai took Naru's outstretched hands, she blushed and her face radiated a brilliant smile. In a semi-hushed whisper, she said conspiratorially, "Between you and me, I think you're more handsome than Lin-san."

Of course, in the stillness of the room, her attempts at secrecy failed and Lin raised his brow. Beside her, his young charge smirked in self-satisfaction and turned to him triumphantly, answering the inebriated girl back with a mock whisper, "I think so, too."

Lin rolled his eyes and exited the room, shaking his head in silent amusement as a smile crept up his face.

* * *

 _A/N:Fluff. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed somewhat :)_


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